Mechanicsburg woman, who died in Dover Township crash, remembered

The Mechanicsburg woman died Feb. 16 in a crash in Dover Township.

Katiejo Bryant, 27, of Mechanicsburg was killed in a crash Feb. 16 in Dover Township. (Submitted)

York, PA -

The four women each lost a sister that day, Feb. 16, when Katiejo Bryant's vehicle crashed in Dover Township.

The four -- Patty Hoyme, 32, of Colorado; Erin Hudak, 29, of Hanover; Mandy King, 28, of Florida; and Marissa Hill, 26, of Wrightsville -- gathered recently to talk about Bryant, 27, of Mechanicsburg. They talked about what they will remember about her and why they loved her.

They had names for her, too. King called her "Katherine Josephine Delicious." Hill called her "Kiki-kins." And because growing up she was small, she was known as "Mouse," to the point that she often signed her name that way, they said.

Although her stature might have been small, her personality was huge, her sisters said.

"She liked to be the center of attention," Hoyme said.

"You knew when Katiejo walked in the room," King said.

She was like her favorite animal, the frog, always bouncing around, the sisters said.

Whether the sisters were at a wedding or any other type of function, Bryant always made sure they were the first ones out on the dance floor.

Bryant grew up in Mechanicsburg and York County, where she was a competitive swimmer. She remained active in the sport, serving as an assistant coach for the Mechanicsburg Swim Club, until her death.

She was trained as a dental assistant, but most recently, worked as a financial coordinator for a dentist in Carlisle.

"You could depend on her for anything," Hill said.

King agreed, saying, "She'd have 25 cents in her bank account and she'd give it to you."

But without a doubt, her greatest accomplishment was her son, Gabriel, 4, the women said.

"She was a great mother," Hudak said. "That was the best thing about her. ... He was the center of her world."

King said Bryant always drove a beat-up car, so that instead of having a car payment, she could take Gabriel places.

"She didn't need a man," Hill said. "She was the mom and the dad."

She was sympathetic to Gabriel, but also strong. And definitely not afraid to get her hands dirty playing with her son, Hudak said.

She also loved her sisters' children as if they were her own, they said.

This past Christmas, she made each of the kids an advent calendar, King said. The calendars are no small feat, usually featuring 24 "windows" with tiny trinkets, poems or money hidden behind them.

"I got this big box on my doorstep in Florida," King said, and inside it were the calendars from "Aunt Kiki." "It was just the most beautiful gift. She put her heart and soul into it."

On Thursday, four sisters came together, four different personalities from different parts of the country. They thought of their sister and also how they would best bring up her son.

"Now, he needs all of us to come together," Hoyme said.

To help

Memorial contributions can be made to the Gabriel Lee Raiford Trust, c/o Members 1st Federal Credit Union, 2145 White St., York PA 17404.

ODESSA, Texas (AP) — A West Texas man has been charged with impersonating an officer by using sirens and flashing lights to skip to the head of the drive-thru line at a fast-food restaurant. Full Story